The ground here felt unusually springy, and he looked down to see he was crossing a wooden drawbridge. At the far end, two guards stood about casually, while a third examined all who sought entrance into the city. Athgar looked up to see others manning the walls, seemingly peering out over the countryside, without a care in the world. No one was in a hurry. Indeed, it appeared they prided themselves on the casual manner in which they operated.

Directly in front of Athgar, a mounted man, wearing a long blue cape, paused, exchanged words with the guard for a moment, and then there was the barest flicker of gold as a coin changed hands. The guard waved the man forward, and his horse trotted beneath the portcullis to enter the city itself.

Athgar stepped forward, waiting as the guard looked him over.

"What's your name?" he was asked.

"Athgar, son of Rothgar," he replied.

The guard looked at him in surprise, taking in his distinctive grey eyes, "A Therengian?"

"Yes," said Athgar.

"What's your business in Draybourne?" the guard enquired.

"I am here seeking someone," Athgar replied. "A warrior with a scar on his left cheek. Do you know of him?"

"Can't say that I do," the guard replied. "Why do you seek this man?"

"He's a murderer!" said the Therengian. "He and his men attacked my village."

The guard studied him intensely before speaking again. "When did this happen? Why haven't I heard of it?" the guard finally asked.

"It was last year," said Athgar, "in the spring."

"And you're just looking into it now?"

"Yes," he replied, "I'm afraid I wasn't in any condition to investigate it any sooner."

"Good luck finding him," said the guard. "I doubt you'll discover much by this late date."

"Should I report it to the duke?" Athgar asked.

"It likely won't do any good," the guard replied. "If this fellow was here, he's probably long gone by now, but you might try the Badger."

"What's that?" Athgar asked.

"It's a tavern. If anyone has heard of this man, there's a good chance it will be someone at the Badger, it's full of less reputable people. You should be careful, though, the wrong words can get you into a lot of trouble."

"I'll bear that in mind. Thank you."

"Go ahead, you can enter the city," said the guard, "and good luck on your search."

Athgar walked beneath the portcullis, then through the stone tunnel that opened into the city itself. As soon as he cleared the gatehouse, he was struck by the sheer amount of bustling humanity walking in all directions, overwhelming him with their numbers. He paused, trying to take it all in. This street alone likely held more people than his entire village, and he couldn't wholly absorb the concept that buildings could be multiple storeys. These structures were primarily made of stone, and he wondered if the cities of Therengia had been so immense.